The Superior times. [volume] (Superior, Wis.) 1870-1912, 1887-02-26
A Handy Set of Markers.

loaned and borrowed among farmers
more than any other, it is marker.
Where corn growing is not specially
and where each man raises but q few
acres for his own feeding in an ordina-
ry system OF mixed farming, we some
times see one marker doing service for
an entire neighborhood.
To be sure, it is an article that is
only needed for an hour or two each
year, perhaps; but when it is wanted,
it Is wanted, and wanted without de-
lay. have seen men put of planting
for q day or two until they could get
hold OF the community marker. The
absurdity of this, SO apparent to
some, is totally lost on others.
"Why, there's no great rush tor my
little planting. 1t wouldn't be worth
while for me to leave pressing work for
half day to make marker when
only need the use of one for an hour
or two," is the usual excuse for the
non owner, and 81 might Just as well
not have marker" is the lament of
the unfortunate owner-untortunate
in living in such borrowing neighbour
hood.
No, we don't expect a man to leave
pressing spring work to build mark
er. It's not good policy for him to
postpone the work until spring plant
ing is upon him. Now in the winter
is the time for such work. This is the
time to prepare for the spring cam
paign. One item in its work should
be the constructor of good set of
markers.
Very little skill, material or time is
needed in this work. All the material
needed for the corn marker is three or
four fence boards and pieces of 2x6
joints for runners. A very good
marker can be made from these. If
the rows are to befour feet apart, and
that is about the right distance-have
the boards either ~ feet or 16 feet
long. The first will call for four run
ners, the last for five. Make these
runners about the same shape as that
of the sleigh runner. Get them at e1-
act distances apart, and nail boards
On firmly across the whole. The
tongue and roller from the double
sleigh may be firmly fastened to the
middle front to serve temporarily.
The marker may need weighing on
some soils, and that is easily done
with a small boy, old iron or stones
Now small markers for the garden
and root patches are just az necessary
as the corn marker. Good garden
work cannot be done without them,
in fact. The old style of planting
garden stuff in little beds by scratch
ing along the straight edge of board
is a most expensive and puttering
way No person of enterprise will
think of it for minute. 1t involves
altogether too much hard labor all
through the season. What we want
for nearly ell kinds of garden vege-
tables is long, straight drills. Dis
tances apart must vary with the va
riety cultivated. Peas and big coarse
roots, like sugar beets, mangolds and
rutabagas should be from twenty one
inches to two feet apart. The horse
cultivator can then be used in these.
Onions, radishes, parsnips and such
email stuff may be much closer to-
gether-say fifteen inches apart. The
hand cultivator can then be used In
these.
Now one marker can be so con-
structed that it may be readily ad-
| iusted to these various widths. Take
a piece of AKA of the desired leugth,
and bore two-inch auger holes the dis
tances apart that the widths are de-
sired. Two or more sets of holes can
be made in this piece. Make legs or
marking pegs of hard, tough, hard
wood. These may be shifted from
hole to hole as desired. Nail on 8
| piece of fence board 9 feet long and
narrowed at one end for tongue to
| guide and draw by. Tack g. cross
piece few inches long onto the outer
| end to take hold of. This set of mark
ers can be made almost any winter
dav, and will make the owner smile
| next spring.-W. d. BoyntOn, in Prac.
| teal Farmer.